The metal-free coupling of propargylic alcohols with carbon dioxide catalysed by guanidine derivatives was investigated in detail through the combination of online kinetic studies by in-situ ATR-IR ... [more ▼]

The metal-free coupling of propargylic alcohols with carbon dioxide catalysed by guanidine derivatives was investigated in detail through the combination of online kinetic studies by in-situ ATR-IR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Bicyclic guanidines, namely TBD and MTBD, are effective catalysts for the conversion of 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol to α-methylene cyclic carbonate and oxoalkyl acyclic carbonate under mild reaction conditions. The lower selectivity of TBD in comparison with MTBD towards the formation of α-methylene cyclic carbonate was elucidated from DFT calculations and is related to the bifunctional activity (base/H-bond donor) of TBD decreasing the Gibbs free energy of the reaction path for the formation of the acyclic carbonate. Introduction [less ▲]

A new photo-sensitive diblock copolymer composed of a hydrophilic sequence of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) linked to a CO2-philic sequence of poly(1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate) (PFDA) by a ... [more ▼]

A new photo-sensitive diblock copolymer composed of a hydrophilic sequence of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) linked to a CO2-philic sequence of poly(1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate) (PFDA) by a light sensitive o- nitrobenzyl group was successfully synthesized by RAFT polymerization and used as stabilizer for the free radical polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in dispersion in ?,?,?-trifluorotoluene and supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). Thanks to this fluorinated stabilizer, well-defined particles of PHEMA down to 350 nm of diameter were produced in scCO2. Advantageously, the photocleavable group at the block junction of the stabilizer could be cleaved by exposing the particles to UV light so that the fluorinated block could be extracted in TFT or scCO2. As supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, up to 80 % of the fluorinated block of the stabilizer can be removed, leading to efficient swelling and dispersion of the resulting PHEMA nanogels in water. [less ▲]

A chemically cross-linked but remarkably (re)processable shape-memory polymer (SMP) is designed by cross-linking poly(ε -caprolactone) (PCL) stars via the efficient triazolinedione click chemistry, based on the very fast and reversible Alder– ene reaction of 1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (TAD) with indole compounds. Typically, a six-arm star-shaped PCL function- alized by indole moieties at the chain ends is melt-blended with a bisfunctional TAD, directly resulting in a cross-linked PCL-based SMP without the need of post-curing treatment. As demonstrated by the stress relaxation measurement, the labile character of the TAD–indole adducts under stress allows for the solid-state plasticity reprocessing of the permanent shape at will by compression molding of the raw cross-linked material, while keeping excellent shape-memory properties. [less ▲]

The organocatalytic coupling of CO2 with oxetanes is investigated under solvent-free conditions. The influence of the main reaction parameters (type of organocatalytic system, pressure and temperature) on ... [more ▼]

The organocatalytic coupling of CO2 with oxetanes is investigated under solvent-free conditions. The influence of the main reaction parameters (type of organocatalytic system, pressure and temperature) on the yield, the product formed and the selectivity of the reaction are discussed. An onium salt combined with a fluorinated alcohol promotes the efficient and selective organocatalytic synthesis of ?,?-hydroxyl oligocarbonates by coupling CO2 with oxetanes at 130°C and at a CO2 pressure as low as 2 MPa. NMR characterizations were correlated with MALDI-ToF analyses for elucidating the structure of the oligomers. Online FTIR studies under pressure, NMR titrations and DFT calculations allowed an in-depth understanding of the reaction mechanism. Finally, CO2- based poly(carbonate-co-urethane)s were synthesized by step- growth polymerization of hydroxyl telechelic oligocarbonates with MDI. The organocatalytic system described in this paper constitutes an innovative sustainable route to the selective preparation of hydroxyl telechelic carbonates, of high interest for many applications, notably for the polyurethane business, especially for coatings or foams. [less ▲]

Polymers with repeating phosphoester linkages in the backbone are biodegradable materials that emerge as a promising class of novel biomaterials, especially in the field of drug delivery systems. In ... [more ▼]

Polymers with repeating phosphoester linkages in the backbone are biodegradable materials that emerge as a promising class of novel biomaterials, especially in the field of drug delivery systems. In contrast to aliphatic polyesters, the pentavalency of the phosphorus atom offers a large diversity of structures and as a consequence a wide range of properties for these mate- rials. In this paper, it is focused on the synthesis of well-defined polyphosphoesters (PPEs) by organocatalyzed ring-opening polymerization, improving the functionalities by combination with click reactions, degrada- tion of functional PPEs and their cytotoxicity, and inputs for applications in drug delivery. [less ▲]

Graphene, graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are being investigated as potential substrates for the growth of neural cells. However, in most in vitro studies, the cells were ... [more ▼]

Graphene, graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are being investigated as potential substrates for the growth of neural cells. However, in most in vitro studies, the cells were seeded on these materials coated with various proteins implying that the observed effects on the cells could not solely be attributed to the GBN and CNT properties. Here, we studied the biocompatibility of uncoated thermally reduced graphene (TRG) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes loaded with multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) using neural stem cells isolated from the adult mouse olfactory bulb (termed aOBSCs). When aOBSCs were induced to differentiate on coverslips treated with TRG or control materials (polyethyleneimine-PEI and polyornithine plus fibronectin- PLO/F) in a serum-free medium, neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes were generated in all conditions, indicating that TRG permits the multi-lineage differentiation of aOBSCs. However, the total number of cells was reduced on both PEI and TRG. In a serum-containing medium, aOBSC-derived neurons and oligodendrocytes grown on TRG were more numerous than in controls; the neurons developed synaptic boutons and oligodendrocytes were more branched. In contrast, neurons growing on PVDF membranes had reduced neurite branching, and on MWCNTs-loaded membranes oligodendrocytes were lower in numbers than in controls. Overall, these findings indicate that uncoated TRG may be biocompatible with the generation, differentiation, and maturation of aOBSC-derived neurons and glial cells, implying a potential use for TRG to study functional neuronal networks. [less ▲]

Calcium carbonate particles are promising candidates as proteins carriers for their controlled delivery in the body. The present paper aims at investigating the protein encapsulation by in situ ... [more ▼]

Calcium carbonate particles are promising candidates as proteins carriers for their controlled delivery in the body. The present paper aims at investigating the protein encapsulation by in situ precipitation of calcium carbonate particles prepared by a process based on supercritical CO2 and using a new type of degradable well-defined double hydrophilic block copolymers composed of poly(ethylene oxide) and polyphosphoester blocks acting as templating agent for the calcium carbonate. For this study, lysozyme was chosen as a model for therapeutic protein for its availability and ease of detection. It was found that by this green process, loading into the CaCO3 microparticles with a diameter about 2 mm can be obtained as determined by scanning electron microscopy. A protein loading up to 6.5% active lysozyme was measured by a specific bioassay (Micrococcus lysodeikticus). By encapsulating fluorescent-labelled lysozyme (lysozyme-FITC), the confocal microscopy images confirmed its encapsulation and suggested a core–shell distribution of lysozyme into CaCO3, leading to a release profile reaching a steady state at 59% of release after 90 min. [less ▲]

Hydrogels based on polyurethane (PU) are promising (bio-) materials because of their bio- compatibility, biodegradation and excellent mechanical properties. In this publication, polyurethane hydrogels ... [more ▼]

Hydrogels based on polyurethane (PU) are promising (bio-) materials because of their bio- compatibility, biodegradation and excellent mechanical properties. In this publication, polyurethane hydrogels were produced for the first time by a non-isocyanate route by solvent-free step-growth copolymerization between a CO2-sourced hydrophilic polyethy- lene glycol bi-cyclic carbonate with diamines in the presence of a cross-linker. Kinetic of poly(hydroxyurethane) (PHU) synthesis was monitored by ATR-IR and the chemical cross-linking was confirmed by rheology and gel contents measurements. Hydrogels were obtained by immersion of PHUs in water and the influence of the diamine/cross-linker ratio and the nature of diamine on the water swelling and compression properties (compression modulus, strain and stress at break) of PHU hydrogels was evaluated. Additionally, the compression properties of the hydrogels were improved by the addition of Montmorillonite as nanofiller in the PHU formulation. This work opens new application fields for CO2-sourced PHUs. [less ▲]

Thanks to their fascinating physical properties such as high surface area, multidimensional electron transport pathways and good mechanical strength, three dimensionally (3D) interconnected carbon porous frameworks have emerged as attractive materials for various electrochemical energy storage/conversion devices, including Li-ion batteries (LIBs), Li−S batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells. In this context, a hierarchically structured macro- and mesoporous N-doped carbon with dispersed Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NDC@Fe2O3) is prepared by thermal treatment of a novel composite composed by PMMA particles decorated by graphene oxide (GO), PPy and iron salts. The NDC@Fe2O3 composite exhibited high surface area with a hierarchical pores structure. The combination of Fe2O3 nanoparticles with porous carbon to form hybrid anode has been an efficient way to maintain the electronic integrity of the whole electrode since the carbon acts as a buffer layer to accommodate the volume variation and to provide multidimensional electron transport pathways during the charge/discharge process. [less ▲]

Polyurethanes (PUs) are one of the most widely used polymeric materials with applications in automotive, as sealants, adhesives, decorative, aircraft topcoats, for coatings or as foams for thermal and/or ... [more ▼]

Polyurethanes (PUs) are one of the most widely used polymeric materials with applications in automotive, as sealants, adhesives, decorative, aircraft topcoats, for coatings or as foams for thermal and/or acoustic insulation. Industrially, PUs are produced by copolymerization between polyols and polyisocyanates. Because of the toxicity issues related to the use of isocyanates, there is a need to develop greener and safer route to produce such polymers. This study reports on the synthesis of new sustainable isocyanates-free PU (NIPU) coatings for aluminium anticorrosion. In a first step, bio- and CO2-sourced cyclic carbonates monomers were synthesized by coupling of epoxydized vegetable oils with CO2 using a new efficient bicomponent organocatalyst. In second step formulations including cyclic carbonates/amines/additives were optimized to produce highly adhesive cross-linked NIPU coatings that show good resistance against solvents and long-term barriers preventing the corrosion of the aluminiumsubstrate [less ▲]

Due to its good biocompatibility, biodegradation and excellent mechanical properties, polyurethane (PU) is a material of choice for biomedical applications (gloves, tubing, artificial membranes…) and, as ... [more ▼]

Due to its good biocompatibility, biodegradation and excellent mechanical properties, polyurethane (PU) is a material of choice for biomedical applications (gloves, tubing, artificial membranes…) and, as hydrogels, it was used as wound dressing, soft contact lenses, drug delivery systems and scaffolds for tissue engineering. Classically, PU are synthesized by a step-growth polymerization between poly (di-)ols and poly (di-) isocyanates. Due to the toxicity of isocyanates, REACH regulations have changed and, today, there is a need to develop greener and safer route to produce isocyanate-free PUs. This contribution focus on the synthesis of NIPU hydrogels by copolymerizing a bifunctional CO2-sourced hydrophilic PEG bi-cyclic carbonate with diamines in presence of a cross- linker. The PEG bi-cyclic carbonates was prepared via a CO2/epoxide coupling reactions using a new efficient organocatalytic system based on the use of an ammonium salt (TBAI) in combination with a fluorinated alcohol. [less ▲]

Hydrolytically degradable and biocompatible aliphatic polyesters are widely applied for biomedical applications as implants, scaffolds for tissue engineering and, finally, as nanocarriers for drug delivery. Aliphatic phophoesters, known since the pioneering work of S. Penczek in the 70’s, exhibit the same properties of hydrolytic degradability and biocompatibility and are thus more and more studied for biomedical applications as well. In the field of materials, anti-fire properties opens up new perspectives. The difference between polyesters and polyphosphoesters in terms of synthesis and properties will be highlighted. Polyphosphosphoesters are synthesized by step-growth and chain growth polymerization. When these polyphosphoesters are synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of cyclic phosphoesters, organocatalysts turned out to be very efficient compared to coodination processes. The last part of the talk will deal with te implementation of ROP of cyclic phosphates towards a series of amphiphilic PEO-block-polyphosphate copolymers of tailored hydrophobicity depending on the length of the lateral alkyl group. These polymers are able to self assemble into nanoparticles by direct dissolution in water, thus in the absernce of any organic solvent. The so-obtained micelles were studied by a set of techniques (Pyrene Fluorescence, Dynamic Light Scattering, Tensiometry). Finally, the influence of the hydrophobicity of the polyphosphate block of the micelle on the encapsulation and the release of a model drug was investigated. [less ▲]